Today I was delighted to Chair the meeting to launch the publication of ABC’s Going for Growth Report. The Report paves the way for the agriculture industry to truly lead an economic recovery fuelled through export growth and sustainable development. It highlights the need to focus on political and trade links with emerging markets, promote and unlock the economic potential of the UK’s world class agricultural research in the Government’s growth drive, and the need to work across Governments in a coordinated project to promote the appliance of UK science in this key sector.
Given the urgency of identifying opportunities for export-led growth in the British economy and the growing global challenge of food security and sustainable development, I believe we have a golden opportunity to attract significant inward investment and international technology transfer from the UK agriculture research sector. Agri-science, alongside biomedical and cleantech, is one of the three strands of the growing global bio-economy. We need a new partnership between government, agriculture and our research base to put new biotechnology to work to tackle the biggest problems in our society.
As the Government Chief Scientist’ recent Foresight Report set out, our rapidly rising population creates a global Grand Challenge; we need to double worldwide food production using half the energy, land and water inputs. By combining biotechnological, agronomic and agro-ecological approaches, there are real sustainable gains to be made. Now is the time to develop environmentally friendly and sustainable agriculture which uses less pesticide and works with, rather than against, the natural enemies of pests. We need to invest in new knowledge and promote sustainable intensification to foster innovation and remain competitive on the world stage. Our competitors are doing it. India, China and Brazil are investing in domestic biotech research and development capabilities, reaping the rewards of innovations, breakthroughs and commercialised crops. In the US, President Obama’s administration launched an integrated strategy for the “bioeconomy” this year with a series of ambitious commitments for the Government to work in partnership with industry across key sectors of the bioeconomy to drive American technology and businesses in these new markets. What are we waiting for?
Today read the Report, click here: http://publ.com/UW7sYxp